- 21 Mar 11, 21:34#245637
"The Hobbit" has finally made its way back to the shire. Director Peter Jackson began filming the long-awaited prequel to "The Lord of the Rings'” trilogy in New Zealand on Monday after years of delay, including a recent hospitalization.
Jackson also posted the first photos from the set on his Facebook page, one showing the slimmed-down filmmaker at the kitchen table inside Bilbo Baggins' house and another with him in the doorway.
"The Hobbit" is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel of the same name, which follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who goes on a quest to find treasure guarded by a dragon.
Sir Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf, wrote on his website last week that rehearsals for the estimated $500 million production were finally underway. "I was at the cast's first joint rehearsal where Peter Jackson, with [screenwriters] Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, invited our comments on their script so far," he wrote. "This is as close to bliss as an actor can get."
He was joined by Martin Freeman, who takes over the role of Bilbo from Ian Holm, though there was no mention of whether returning stars Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom were present at the reading.
"I don't want to be part of a forum where everyone has differing opinions." Boom...
this weekend. I figured I might as well watch it in the HFR mode but the only way to get that is also in 3D which made me head hurt the only and only time I've seen a 3D film in the theaters. 
